Chapter Thirty-Three: A Word Out of Place

  Let these few boys keep watch, and the two of them sleep. Of course, Zuo Xiao and Yao were unwilling, although it was inconvenient to frankly tell the truth that there was no need for anyone to stay up all night. Luo Hongtian replied lightly, "You can sleep, with me and Xiaoyao here, everything will definitely be safe at night."

  Although he could hear the determination in Hongtian's voice that brooked no refusal, Lishiqiang still hesitated and said, "This isn't quite right, is it? After all, since we entered the mountains, the three of us have been taking turns keeping watch at night. How about the four of us take turns instead?"

  The so-called four people, obviously exclude the three women from the three games. Although this year's advocacy for gender equality, at certain times, women are still the ones being taken care of by men. This can be seen from Liu Yingyue and Bai Xiang's indifferent attitude, who naturally let them discuss without paying attention to the matter.

  But their attitude only represents themselves, Zuo Xiao Yao never thought that way. Not to mention she is now a cultivator far stronger than ordinary people or even ordinary men. In her past before cultivating, when participating in some activities, she also never wanted male classmates or colleagues to help carry bags and move things for her.

  So, although she understood that they were good intentions, understanding is one thing, but Zuo Xiao Yao didn't intend to accept it at all. "No need, Brother Luo is right, you can rest assured and sleep soundly, the night watch will be taken care of by me and Brother Luo, we have a lot of experience in this mountain!"

  "Alright then, thank you, if there's anything, please wake us up immediately!"

  Jian Xiaoyao was as determined as Lu Hongtian, so Li Shiqiang and the others didn't persist anymore. The encounter with the wolf in the evening had brought them an unparalleled thrill, but it also made the five people who were highly nervous and exhausted from running away very tired. After washing up by the water pool and setting up their tents or sleeping bags, they quickly fell into a deep sleep.

  Still sitting by the bonfire, Hongtian quickly set up a soundproof barrier around himself and Xiangxiu before sighing "Are young people these days... so passionate?"

  "That's not necessarily true, people are different from one another, but in some ways, I think they're like that because they want to express their sincerity and friendliness in this way."

  In reality, their age is not much different from that of these five medical students. Zuo Xiaoyao can still understand their psychology and some words and deeds of people in modern society.

  Hongtian frowned slightly and said, "That can't be, we can't just lose the ritual culture that our ancestors passed down, have you forgotten what dignity is?"

  She glanced at his sportswear and said with a hint of teasing, "In this era of advanced information and cultural exchange, it's inevitable that some conflicts will arise, and people's perceptions will change. This generation of young people is deeply affected by this, and without effective guidance, they are influenced by popular culture that can't be clearly defined as right or wrong. It's really normal for them to be like this. If you spend more time living in the bustling city, you should be able to understand them better."

  He noticed the implication in Xue Yao's gaze and Luo Hongtian shook his head helplessly, saying "Forget it, as soon as I enter those big cities, I feel uncomfortable all over. Let alone living there, the air pollution is so severe that the environment there is a slow killer for us cultivators. Fortunately, you understand these things, but your body hasn't developed any habits that are unacceptable to others. If one were to criticize, they couldn't quite put their finger on what's wrong."

  This is natural, because I have a grandmother who taught me traditional etiquette since childhood! But Zuo Xiao Yao didn't think to explain this, she just smiled and said "So it's said that people are different from one another. There are people like these five young ones, two of whom don't know what politeness is, and there are also two who are more adept at observing words and expressions, with meticulous thoughts."

  "What about the other one?"

  "There's another one with a keen eye for talent, who can tell at a glance that the person on horseback is of extraordinary origin and has an impressive identity, making them worth approaching!"

  Just as they finished speaking in jest, the two of them couldn't help but look at each other and burst out laughing, and the unpleasantness from being investigated about their "household registration" earlier also dissipated.

  ……

  The next morning, when the five students who had slept very sweetly woke up, they already smelled a fragrance that could open their appetite.

  The bonfire that had been burning all night was roasting fish, and Zuo Xiangyun and Lü Buwei, who were sitting beside it, still looked spirited. Only a pile of fresh chicken and rabbit bones on the ground proved that they had already started preparing breakfast. Nobody could tell that the two hadn't slept at all during the night, having talked long into the night!

  They bid each other a "good morning", and the five of them packed up their camping gear, then took out their toiletries from their respective bags to wash up by the water pool. Along with Bai Xiang, they returned to the bonfire and saw that there were several roasted fish and a mountain chicken, enough for the five of them, but no other food. Liu Yingyue subconsciously furrowed her brow and said "It's so greasy to eat this kind of thing early in the morning, it's not good for the skin!"

  Her soft voice, paired with her delicate and beautiful face that didn't need any makeup, was like she was coquettishly complaining to a lover. Unfortunately, the object of her coquetry clearly had no intention of sparing her feelings, as Lu Hong Tian didn't even lift an eyebrow before saying "You can skip it if you don't want to eat, we just happened to roast some extra, help yourself!"

  Zhang Jingfeng, who was already eating a grilled fish, said "Yingyue, why bother with so many things now? This flavor is really good! Come and eat quickly, thank you all. Being able to eat hot food in this desolate mountain wilderness is truly blissful! Who among you grilled this? The technique is amazing, let's have it for lunch too!"

  "Don't be polite, you guys eat slowly, I and Luo brother are leaving Shen Nong Jia today, next, we'll be traveling together with you!"

  Zuo Xiao Yao smiled warmly, not bothering to respond to Rong Hong Tian's words that had made Liu Ying Yue's face turn red with anger. She was completely unaware of the concept of gratitude and had a spoiled princess attitude, thinking that others should cater to her. The reason why it seemed like they were specially preparing food for them was because Rong Hong Tian enjoyed barbecuing and also knew that these students, who were unable to even catch a chicken, would definitely ask for their help. After all, the dry rations they had brought were already consumed last night.

  Li Shiqiang and Feng Zheng had just taken over the uncooked chicken and two fish handed to them by Zuo Xiaoyao, when they heard Zuo Xiaoyao's farewell words, causing all five medical university students to involuntarily stop their movements in surprise.

  Subconsciously standing up and looking at the two who had already packed their bags and were ready to leave, Feng Zheng, who looked a bit anxious, said "You guys wait for us too, after we finish breakfast, we'll go with you. We originally planned to leave the mountain today too. Besides, this place should be deep in Shennongjia, the signal is bad, and it's hard to tell directions, I don't know if we can make it out in a day. And there are ferocious beasts on this mountain, so it's better for us to have more people to take care of each other!"

  "Yes, there are other teachers and classmates who came into the mountain with us this time. If everyone can meet up, then safety won't be a problem! If it's just the five of us on the road, the possibility of meeting them is really small. Moreover, the compass used to determine direction was also lost last night! You two seem to be more familiar with the environment in the mountain, please take us with you, thank you!"

  Li Shi Qiang, who also stood up, echoed in agreement, his eyes filled with expectation. He and Feng Zheng had already noticed that although there were only two of them, they seemed to be at ease, as if they were in their own backyard, without any concern for safety. Their words and actions suggested that these two men might be extraordinary, or perhaps they had some kind of reliance that allowed them to live safely in the mountains. Moreover, they could hunt and return with fresh game before dawn, yet their clothes remained clean and tidy as if it were still the previous night.

  If it were just her and Lu Hongtian, not to mention a day, they could probably get out in half a day at most. No beast would be a problem, but if they had to bring these five "burdens", Xiaoxiao couldn't even guess whether they could make it out in a day, especially with two delicate ladies among them who needed to be supported by others.

  Although she felt that it was not right to abandon these five people from a moral standpoint, she did not want to humble herself and spend a long time with people who were not only unrelated but also incompatible with her, nor did she want to 'serve' others.